Thank god for Carole. She'd been able to hold Burt off until Saturday morning. But after a fitful sleep, it was time for Kurt to pay the piper.
"You wouldn't understand. You're not gay!"
"Don't give me that!" Burt stabbed his cereal spoon emphatically in Kurt's direction. "I understand you're a compassionate kid. But dating the guy who threatened your life is taking gay solidarity too far! You stay away from him!"
"Or what? Dad, this is important. He's changed! And he really needs a friend."
"Doesn't have to be you. Let Finn be his friend."
"Uh - dude hates me," Finn said, then sent his mom a frown when she swatted his arm. "Stay out of it," she mouthed.
Burt shot Finn a dark look. The jangle of the phone interrupted anything he might have added, and Finn jumped at it.
"Kurt," Burt started. "I'm asking you to pl-"
"Uh, Burt," Finn cut in. "Phone's for you. Says it's Paul Karofsky."
Burt sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead.
"Hon?" Carole asked tentatively.
"Okay. Okay - everybody out. I'll deal with this."
"Any idea what they talked about?" Tina asked.
"No," Kurt replied bitterly. "Carole wouldn't let me listen in. Whatever it was, it got dad off my back... I just wish Dave had called! Or at least answered my texts. I mean, how much time does it take to type 'I'm fine?' Unless he's not fine... Argh!"
Mercedes shot Tina a worried look as she rubbed Kurt's back. It was Monday, and they were in in the choir room for practice after school. Which made it three full days that Mercedes had had to deal with her boy's worrying.
"I'm sure he's fine-"
"You don't KNOW that," Kurt replied. He looked up as Mr. Schue entered the room and noticed a familiar figure passing by.
"Dave!" Kurt vaulted up and skidded out into the near-empty hallway.
"Hey," Dave said, turning around. He looked terrible. Red eyes, pale.
"Hey? That's all you've got? I have been worried sick about you! Are you okay? Scratch that; of course you're not okay..."
The corner of Dave's mouth hitched up a little. "I'm fine. Really."
"Then why didn't you answer any of my texts you- you jerk?" Kurt shouted. "You probably haven't been 'fine' since your parents crashed our date. Since before then! And what the hell were they doing at the Bean anyway?"
"Hoping for a bit of a date themselves," Dave replied sheepishly. "They were worried about me and wanted to talk, I guess. Got a bit more than they counted on..."
"So you told them?"
"Yeah. They, um, mostly figured it out themselves. When they saw me, uh, feeding you."
"And? How did they take it? Why weren't you in class today?"
"Weekend was a bit, uh … intense. Mom's a drama queen. She thought I was on drugs or steroids or suicidal or something before. So there was lots of talking, crying, more talking. I feel kinda hung over, actually."
"So, what? You slept it off all day?"
"Naw. Slept in, then my parents got me in with my GP for a referral to- um... a therapist."
"Oh my god, they're forcing you into conversion therapy!" Kurt cried, horror etched in every tense line of his body. "That is completely outrageous! It should be illegal." He started pacing. "Never mind, you can move in with us. I'm sure dad and Carole will be okay once I explain it to them. It'll be tight with you, me and Finn all sharing a room, but we can get a bunkbed, and I totally don't mind being on top." At Dave's puzzled expression, he changed tack. "Forget it, you're right. Until you're 18, you're vulnerable. God! There has got to be some kind of underground railroad for conversion therapy refugees!" He finally stopped and placed both hands on Dave's shoulders. "Look. Don't worry. We will figure this out. I am not going to let anything bad happen to you."
Dave's heart lurched at the passion in Kurt's gaze. But even though his sincerity and proximity felt really, really good, Dave had to come clean.
"Actually, they, uh... kinda took the gay thing in stride. Apparently it's preferable to suicidal addict."
Dave watched that sink in. Confusion replaced Kurt's righteous anger, and he slowly slid his hands from Dave's shoulders. Damn.
"They want me to see someone 'cause they think I might be... uh, depressed," Dave confessed
Kurt looked poleaxed. "Oh," he said eventually. "And do you think you might be? Um, depressed?"
Dave looked down, studied his feet. Christ, this was awkward. Guys didn't talk about this stuff, did they? Or were there different rules for gay guys? "Well, I haven't been, uh... happy. In a long time."
Kurt was silent a moment. Then his hands were back on Dave's shoulders. "Hey," he said softly. "You just came out to your parents. And the world didn't end. That's something to be happy about, right?"
Lump in his throat, Dave nodded.
"Dave, you just came out." Dave could hear the smile in Kurt's voice. He desperately wanted to respond in kind, but didn't want the other boy to see the tears that had inexplicably flooded his eyes. Thank god Kurt chose that moment to launch himself at Dave in a fierce hug. "Don't worry. Platonic hug," Kurt whispered. Dave wrapped his arms tightly around Kurt's back and waist, hanging on for dear life as the tears he'd been trying to suppress finally spilled over. He took a few deep, shaky breaths, drawing in the scent at Kurt's neck as he tried to get himself back under control.
"Is everything okay?" Artie asked tentatively from the doorway. The boys broke apart. Dave hurriedly dragged a sleeve across his face as Kurt pulled him into the choir room.
"Dave just came out to his parents," Kurt announced. Hearing it said aloud again was a shock. Dave looked up, surprised to note that the other boy's eyes were wet, before looking around the rest of the room. The gleeks all looked a little shocked themselves.
It was Sam who spoke first, "D'it go okay, man?"
Still unable to trust his voice, Dave gave a jerky nod.
"That's great!" Artie said, face splitting into his trademark sweet smile. He rolled forward and clasped Dave's hand. That seemed to break the tension in the room. Suddenly, it seemed everyone was coming forward to offer their congratulations. Mr. Shuester shook his hand; Finn and Puck awkwardly patted his back; Rachel, Mercedes, Brittany, Tina, Sam and Mike each hugged him; Quinn and Santana even stroked his arms before Lauren delivered a 'friendly' slug that would likely leave a bruise.
"Well," declared Kurt with a smile as he wiped his cheeks. "I think this calls for a celebration."
Replying with a wet grin of her own, Rachel agreed. "Well, we have been working on something that would fit the occasion. So, Dave, on behalf of all of us: congratulations. Hit it!"
A driving beat filled the choir room. Dave watched, bemused, as the gleeks drifted into groups, their heads bobbing with the music. The girls started them off, each taking 3 lines.
Visions of you
Visions of me
Everything we wanted
I wanna be
Frozen in time
Forever in this moment
How you wanna live?
What you wanna feel?
Don't you know you make me feel
So alive
What you wanna do?
What you wanna feel?
I know you wanna live your life right
Dave recognized the song from the radio. Bobbing his head now as well, he watched Kurt dance around and join in on the chorus with the other guys.
The night is young
And so are we
We can do anything
We wanna, baby
The night is young
And so are we
We can be anyone
We wanna, baby
Cause we are
Free Free Free Free Free Free
And life is
Free Free Free Free Free Free
The boys took the next part, Kurt on lead, singing directly to Dave.
Baby it's all good (Baby it's all good)
When I look at you (When I look at you)
And I see that you (And I see that you)
Made it through everything (Made it through everything)
After all of the ups and downs (All of the ups and downs)
We figured it out
And I will know
How to ride it out
Dave willingly let Brittany pull him in to join the dancing group. Saying no would be like kicking a puppy, and he didn't want to anyway. Beat pulsing through his blood, he closed his eyes and let the music take him.
The night is young
And so are we
We can do anything
We wanna, baby
The night is young
And so are we
We can be anyone
We wanna, baby
Cause we are
Free Free Free Free Free Free
And life is
Free Free Free Free Free Free
Eyes closed, head lifted up, Dave continued to spin round and round. A smile finally graced his face: for the first time in a long time, he FELT free. And with new friends, maybe he COULD make it through everything.
"Boy can move," Mr. Schuester said quietly, taking in the scene. "Wonder if he can sing?"
Not the end, promise.
Song: Night is young (Nelly Furtado)